Red Dirt Girl

Not really a fan of the inclusion of these types of later career albums by established artists on this list. Much rather hear any of her first 12 albums than her 21st album. Much rather hear more vital music from artists establishing themselves from this time period than a "return to form" from a well established artist. Do you see any Frank Sinatra or Little Richard albums from the 70s taking up space on here? No. Because if you did it would take the place of much more vital/relevant music from that time period and it wouldn't make any sense. So why do you see so many of these albums that are a good decade or two after these artist's prime on this list as we get towards more recent music? I can only imagine it is a reflection of the average age of the people making the list. Baby boomers doing what they do best and taking up all the space and resources they can for themselves and consequently stifling the opportunities for younger generations to thrive (probably without fully realizing they are doing so). Not a critique of the album but the list itself.

This was an incredibly interesting album inclusion! I think for people to understand the significance of this, they'd have to understand a little bit more about Emmylou's musical style and the typical "expectations" around country music artists crossing over between genres. Emmylou's music has always kind of straddled a line between country and folk, this much is true. But many country music fans have a very specific expectation of their country music, and crossovers aren't always successful. Around this general time, other country artists were pushing the country-pop crossover successfully. But what Emmylou is pushing here is a crossover into more world-oriented folk music; this country-folk album is laden with many Eastern folk sounds if you listen closely. At the time, this was a virtually untapped crossover space (and potentially career suicide) for a country artist. And yet, Emmylou Harris absolutely shines in this crossover space. Always a talented artist, she somehow seems even more at home here; her vocals are more warbly, emotionally charged, and soulful, her guitar is more warm and gentle. Additionally, Emmylou had not historically written her albums, but this album, save for one song, is completely written by her. This is absolutely wild, as her lyrics are so poetic and well written that it makes this sound like she's been a lifelong songwriter. This isn't a typical Emmylou Harris album, but even though it's her nineteenth studio album, 30+ years into her career, it may reflect the purest form of Emmylou Harris. And while this type of crossover was not typical in the country space at the time, this has likely inspired country artists since, just as Emmylou was inspiring the work of country artists in the 1970s. This album was very peaceful and could have lulled me into hearing it as background noise, but between the beautiful vocals, lyrics, harmonies, and overall warmth of it all, it kept drawing me back in to listen to and appreciate its intricacies more actively. Even from the opening song, "The Pearl", I was feeling this gravitas. Pleasantly surprised by this album! To me, this album speaks of mid to later stage career shifts that can give way to beautiful and surprising results.

I don't know much Emmylou Harris, I know she is considered iconic in folk circles. I like her voice, definitely heard it on other collaborations. A lot of these tracks are just sort of "there" for me though, nothing that really jumps out to me. Very chill, not bad.

Pleasant. But if I never heard it again, or never had heard it, I don't think my life would be any the poorer.

The entire album has an amazing sound. A blend of folk, country, mixed with contemporary production. It is soothing to listen to from beginning to end, at points feeling like ambience. Her timbre is beautiful, brilliant phrasing, and lovely harmonies via dubbed layers or with the featured vocalists. I really enjoyed it and really respect her ability to evolve her sound so late in her career.

If her mid-career stuff is this good, then I really need to check out her earlier stuff…and everything else.

You can tell by the company Emmylou keeps how special of an artist she is. Duets with The Boss and Patty Griffin and Kate McGarrigle on the accordion. The Pearl is such an epic way to start this album that I was thinking it could end the album as well. She can do rock and folk equally well. Loved listening to this.

I wasn't sure how much I would love this album at first, but by the end my eyes were glistening and I wanted to go back and start over. Knowing of Emmylou Harris forever, but not being that familiar with her work, I didn't realize this was the first album she recorded with mostly songs she wrote or co-wrote. I love these songs. It was, however, "Red Dirt Girl" that really first caught my attention and grabbed my heart. Then "My Baby Needs a Shepherd" came on and "What are you doing to me?!?" Then "Bang the Drum Slowly" came on and "Oh no! *sob* I can't take it!" Going back and listening to everything again, I just thought it was a beautiful album. Beautiful music, beautiful voice, beautiful songs.

Have always steered away from country music but was willing to give this a fair listen, being familiar with Emmylou Harris... And I'm thankful I did, this is a great album. Calling it Country almost shortchanges it; I would also label it folk, Americana, Heartland. Although Emmylou is clearly the focus, it was really the music here that was the surprise. Highlight is "I Don't Wanna Talk About It Now" 7/10

Just beautiful. I think it crossed over into a weird space where the country folks maybe didn't take to it like her traditional stuff, and other folks didn't give it a chance, but its truly amazing to immerse yourself in.

At the time of its release, I listened to Red Dirt Girl and liked it, but would for years reach for Wrecking Ball when I wanted to listen to Emmylou Harris. Subsequently, I spent time with the album and truly appreciated it for the tremendous statement it. Frequently a quiet statement, and a representative of what a strong songwriter she had become.

i've been waiting for this one to come around...had it on fairly heavy rotation back around '03 or so, then hadn't given it much thought. it's just as good now as it was then - like emmylou herself, this album doesn't seem to age. it's not that it ages well, it's that it just doesn't get any older with time. love it.

Beautiful voice, some really strong tracks. But realistically won’t revisit

God it’s all so bloody dull. Clicked on wiki while enduring this - her 19th album and the first she wrote - stick to singing. Also under the Legacy section “Featured in the 1001 albums book” That says it all

Red Dirt Girl I’m a sucker for late career albums like this, when commercial and career expectations are low and there’s a sense of nothing to prove. Having said that, there are some absolute stinkers in that field, but thankfully this is not a stinker at all, rather it hits all the right marks - tasteful, restrained, and with a melancholic sense of lives lived and experience gained - a combination that works for me. And it particularly works when it's in the country/folk/rock genre like this, and it especially works with someone like Emmylou Harris with her fantastic, gentle, evocative voice and slightly spectral presence. The only danger with this could be whether the late 90s production and drum loops are too prominent and distracting, but for the most part that’s not an issue, aside from the odd guitar part here and there. In fact the drum loops give it a nice shuffley and ethereal rhythmic sense, and I really like how they have woven in middle eastern textures, sounds and instruments with those drum loops and the country folk guitars to make a very immersive and atmospheric listen. The Pearl is a lovely ruminative opener about hardship and endurance. The christian imagery may be a bit on the nose but it's a great track hinting at the themes and sounds of the album. Michelangelo’s country folkness and vivid imagery are great, but her voice really elevates it. I Don’t Want to Talk About it Now is excellent, notwithstanding the slightly egregious wah wah/guitar effects, a great groove, melody and atmosphere. Tragedy has a lovely melody and another great vocal, as well as a very delicate and sensitive piano part helping echo the feelings of lost love. More loss and sadness permeates Red Dirt Girl, one of the more obviously country tracks, but again it’s a great little track. More religiousness on My Baby Needs a Shepherd, and I like the interpolation of Too ra loo, giving it a hymnal, lullaby quality and Ethan John’s baritone guitar is very tasteful too. Further spectral and ethereal atmospherics on Bang the Drum Slowly. The echoing percussion could be cheesy, but it works with the floating piano and musical texture. Some of it reminds me of The Rising, the Springsteen album, from a year or two after, which makes sense considering he appears on Tragedy and shares some of the middle eastern sounds. I love that Kate McGarrigle makes an appearance on J’Ai Fait Tout, it definitely has a very folk inspired melodic sense. The skittering drums work well, again they could easily feel out of place and too dated, but they are sympathetically arranged, giving it a nice tumbling rhythmic pattern. One Big Love is a great track, an excellent catchy melody and I love the organ in the intro. The lyric about letting go and taking chances is great, apart from the Monkey/Funky rhyme, which feels bad in a particularly middle aged way. Hour of Gold is excellent too, her gentle and evocative vocal is especially great with the longing and loss described in the words. My Antonia I’m not totally sure about, it’s a decent song but I don’t think Dave Matthews voice really suits the folk-ishness of the song or complements her voice that well, and is probably the one time the production moves from tasteful into vaguely distracting blandness. Fortunately Boy From Tupelo follows, a great track with nicely atmospheric guitar and a little tack piano part, the rolling percussion illustrating the keep on moving theme of the words. You could argue that there is a similarity to a lot of the tracks, perhaps feeling a little samey. I think that’s a fair argument, although its a sound and style I’m very on board with, and it also might be a consequence of it suffering from a bit of CD bloat. 55 mins is pretty long for 12 songs, a bit of judicious editing of song length to tighten it up would probably be beneficial. But overall it is delicately haunting and atmospheric listen, with her clear, beautiful, gentle and expressive voice, and it is a great example of a mature, late career album, similar to some of Springsteen’s later albums or something like Oh Mercy, with it’s reverb heavy production and slowed down tempos. Really not sure whether its 4 or 5 - I listened all day yesterday and this morning and didn’t really want to turn it off, and it will definitely go into rotation. As always I’ll go with the higher score - lifes too short to be parsimonious with an entirely arbitrary and subjective scoring system 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️ Playlist submission: One Big Love

Really great as always from Emmylou.

If there’s a holier summary of pre-lame country music, this must take the cake. A very easy voice to listen to

This album fucking rocks. Emmylou is the best. I love her. Such a beautiful voice. Really good production and a surprising amount of originality for an album so late in her career. This is really good. 4/5

“Red Dirt Girl” by Emmylou Harris (2000) I’m familiar with Harris’ work as a background vocalist (for Neil Young, Bob Dylan, etc.) and her early hits, but I’ve never heard this album. Emmylou Harris was 53 years old when she recorded this album, and she exudes both youthfulness and maturity in her songwriting and performance. Harris has one of the most recognizable background voices in music of the 70s, with her easy timbre and flawless pitch control. In this solo production of her own composition, she rises to the occasion. She has exceptional strength in her lower range, with good control in her very occasional forays into the highest reaches of her range. It is very plain to hear on this album why she was a favorite for backup and duet work with male artists like Dylan and Young, whose vocal skills were both limited and idiosyncratic. She could make a frog sound sweet. As a songwriter, her compositions on this album are characterized by unsurprising yet moving melodies in major keys, with typical country/folk harmonies. This recording is innovative for Harris, primarily because of its experimental percussion and electronic soundscapes. Very well produced and recorded. The lyrics are serious, reflective, and powerfully feminine, with standard country meter and rhyme. I really liked listening to this. 3/5

3 Stars isn't a bad thing at all- this is a good album, one I would listen to again sometime, but I don't know if it's her absolute best work. That said though, I love her sound. Her voice is so clear and pretty.

I get it. Hearing that this is where Emmylou comes into her own with songwriting - this late in her career - really shows how she has evolved as an artist. She has history and experience in the genre, and still manages to share a fresh take and voice.

Title track wins but I thought a lot of these songs were gorgeous.

Emmylou Harris has one of my favorite voices in music. This album is gorgeous.

Love it

I always appreciated Emmy Lou's song writing talent, but I've never heard this album, her first foray into writing her own songs. This was a real treat.

So great. The song "Tragedy" stopped me in my tracks, and I played it three times, then listened to the whole album again.

Excellent - glad I found this one through the "generator"!

I've heard Emmylou Harris's name before, but I was unfamiliar with her work as a musician before starting this project (I did review Trio a few weeks ago, and in the summer, I randomly checked out Gram Parsons' Grievous Angel, and read about how Gram's widow basically tried to remove as many traces of Emmylou from the album as possible. Gretchen seems lovely). Based on the reviews, I didn't expect to like this album, but I was really surprised by it, because it turned out to be an all-around joy to listen to. Emmylou's singing was incredible, and I loved the unique country-folk sound to the album. The music was fantastic, especially the piano and guitar playing. None of the songs sounded too alike, but the album still felt very cohesive. The lyrics were great too, and I enjoyed that some of the song meanings were very straightforward, while others were very much left open to interpretation. On those merits alone, I can't deny this album a five star rating. When it comes to the cultural importance of this album, and why it's on this list, I think it's a great representation of a larger trend that we've seen this century, where older artists continue to write and record new music, often to positive reviews from critics; Bruce Springsteen's Wrecking Ball and Leonard Cohen's You Want it Darker come to mind when I think about this trend. Some older artists seem to still draw on their old hits, and many a joke has been made about washed-up bands playing county fairs and single day festivals sponsored by FM classic rock stations. But some artists buck that trend, and continue to hone their creative skills. I think this album is a prime example of that, and deserves a spot on this list.

It’s emmylou

4.5/5 - this was really nice, very positive surprise for me

Really liked this.

Not normally a huge Country fan but I make an exception for Emmylou Harris

I saw the album title, the artist's name, the cover, the genre of music and even skimmed through a few reviews and I thought 'I'm going to really struggle with this one'. Quite the opposite in reality because this was a delight to listen to. Never heard of Emmylou Harris but I like her voice. It's supposedly country music, but I would barely describe it as such. It's got hints of country, definitely, but it's more folky. The tracks that have a tinge of sadness are the best ones. I don't know if that's a reflection on me or not, but I genuinely think they're the strongest songs on the album. The first two tracks, 'The Pearl' and 'Michelangelo' for example are a great opening one two gut punch. They sound very bittersweet as does 'Bang The Drum Slowly'. I think she just has a voice for the slower, more emotional songs. Overall, a very pleasant surprise and an album I would be glad to listen to in full if it was ever put on.

Great songwriting, emotionally resonant lyrics, lovely melodies. This album is great, though I do think Harris' voice isn't the best and you'd have to be in the right mood to listen to this one straight through. Several songs went into my favourites

I’ll be honest - I expected a load of crapness going into this because it’s country music and that rarely vibes with me. And after track one I thought I’d probably be right but there was a seed of doubt in that it wasn’t quite as bad as I expected. As the album went on, I found myself enjoying it more and more, and being very happy to be wrong about my initial impression. I’d always rather have a nice time than a bad time, and this one ended up being the former.

Get some good headphones and find a quiet place to listen without distraction. This is a beautiful album, almost ethereal in places. While, I personally think it falls short in places, this is deserving of your time.

Really good album from a super cool lady. I loved the title track, J’ai fait tout, and My Antonia (with a nice Dave Matthews appearance).

I had known that Emmylou Harris was very highly regarded in the Americana/country realm when I was younger, but having little interest in that branch of music, I didn't know any of her stuff. I came to Emmylou Harris with her collaboration with Daniel Lanois in 1995 with Wrecking Ball, and her shimmering and expressive voice enraptured me. I've been a fan ever since. Now that I know her earlier stuff (back to the mid-1970's), I consider Wrecking Ball the sea change in her sound, and Red Dirt Girl is more of the same. However, this is notable as an album of her own compositions. Lovely songs, beautiful production, and an adventure for the mind, heart, and ears. Only giving it 4 because I think that Wrecking Ball really was the monumental sonic shift in her catalog.

I thought this was pretty good. Very chill album. Her voice is pretty and I like that the instruments were not overwhelming. Really enjoyed the country/folk crossover.

Good music as support, and good singing on top. A nice listen.

Country is very hit or miss for me but I like her brand of country a lot.

amazing production on this

I loved this. I'd never heard any of it before, but for a couple of weeks it's been my favourite album. It's provided ear worms that I've thoroughly enjoyed revisiting. This is why I am doing this! To find gems that resonate like this.

Gorgeous

By the end I started to wonder if I should rate this slightly lower, as it started to drag for me, but I think overall I really appreciate what she was doing with this album.

The songs and Emmylou's voice are pretty. There isn't necessarily much variety in style or tempo from song to song, but they are nice to listen to.

This one took me a few listens before I could really decide about it. I was excited to listen --- I'm not very familiar with Emmylou Harris but feel like I should be. The first time through, the songs just weren't taking hold. I thought they were pleasant and pretty but none of them felt like mine. I'm almost done listening for a third time and it's grown on me quite a bit. Her voice is great, there are some interesting guests singing harmony, the instrumentation is varied and fun, her songs tell a story. I'm most sold on One Big Love, Hour of Gold, and the title track. Those feel like they belong in my library. I also like Boy from Tupelo and My Antonia.

I haven’t heard of this album before. The opening song was a real surprise. This is a more updated sound than I expected. It didn't feel purely country to me although there were strong country undertones. "Michelangelo", "I Don't Want To Talk About It Now", "Red Dirt Girl", "J'ai fait tout", "One Big Love", "My Antonia" and "Boy from Tupelo" were some of the highlights on my first listen, but going back I could probably add the rest of the songs to this list. This is a solid album! I read that this was the first time Emmylou Harris wrote her own songs (all but one) for an album. It definitely worked for her. The songs are very well crafted. This is a gentle and very strong album from a true legend. I can't think of anything not to like about it.

Really glad I read the wiki on this one b/c I realized I didn't know a lot about Harris. A lot of artists I like have been influenced by her but this was the first time I listened to her. Very much one of those artist you expect to be a singer song writer but interesting that this was her first time actually writing her own songs.

Surely the Mother of US country music, a fantastic voice and some stand out tracks (particularly Red Dirt Girl) that both move and entertain you.

Pleasant folk/country/americana. Not my typical style, but very beautiful.

Good songs, very good voice. A relaxing album to listen to. I liked it.

Voz dulce y delicada

Good album! Emmy Lou Harris is a country music icon so when I saw this album come up, I thought that is what I'd be getting. While the album has some of those elements, I did not feel like I was listening to country music. It is something else entirely. Not quite country and not quite folk either. There are some rock elements too. It is very lush, heartfelt, spritual and melancholy. Anyway, interesting album. Glad I heard it

Not super familiar with Emmylou Harris, but I know that she is well respected in the country genre. This album seemed nice enough but I couldn't help feeling its inclusion on this list was the musical equivalent of Scorsese winning an Oscar for "The Departed". 3.5 stars

I really did not mind this. SO much better than the album the day before.

3.5 I wasn’t expecting much given that this is a later career release from a popular 70s country star in the Y2Kountry era, but she was actually kind of cooking here. I mean, whenever you see an artist some 30 years into their career attempt to modernize their sound, it feels like 9 out of 10 times they fall flat on their faces in the process. Hell, production aside, just being able to maintain the same quality of songwriting that many years down the line seems to be a feat for most artists, and yet Emmylou Harris manages to pull it off pretty well here. I’m not saying this is an amazing album by any means, but as someone who was never the biggest fan of hers to begin with (when not paired with Conor Oberst that is), to compare the quality of this to Pieces of the Sky I think is saying something. One of my biggest complaints about Pieces of the Sky was that only one song was actually written by Emmylou, but 17 releases later, it seems that she was finally ready to tackle an entire album’s worth (except for one song, ironically). I have no idea why she wasn’t able to summon the confidence or creativity to do so until now, but the wait paid off - the storytelling here is among some of the best I’ve heard in country music. Red Dirt Girl in particular is a strong, though tragic telling of a young Southern wife’s descent into depression and addiction, and Bang the Drum Slowly, a track dedicated to her father, is a touching inclusion as well. Aside from storytelling, there’s also a very strong sense of catchiness here as well, especially for an album that borders on folk music, with The Pearl, Michelangelo, and One Big Love (the one track here not written by her) all being ones that stuck with me after my listening. The duet on My Antonia also provided for an enjoyable listen, even with Dave Matthews being the male vocalist. I’m really not a fan at all of the guy’s band, but it seems Emmylou’s music helps with my tolerability of the guy immensely. That all to say, everything I didn’t list above is pretty forgettable - which, when you look at the tracklist, is half of what this album offers. For that reason, I struggled a bit with my rating on this one, but I think to list the other half of the album as highlights is saying something as well. While I’m not rushing out to put any songs in my Spotify playlists (at least not yet), I think this is a strong country album that would get another play out of me.

I liked the chill vibes, and her vocals are pretty pleasant. Although the album does get a bit bland, it's still a positive experience.

It's pretty wild that an artist in her 50s decides, on her 19th album, that she wants to start recording her own music rather than doing covers as she had for her entire career. I liked this album. Country is not particularly my genre, but she also does an idiosyncratic version of country that I find more interesting to listen to than most country music. It's not something that I see myself coming back to, but it's good overall 3/5

Notes - Country americana album - Notable for her writing her own songs, instead of her usual covers - Her songs are really good at using space, letting things breathe - The production is a little…. Questionable - There’s some early 2000s choices that I don’t think have aged super well - Was really hoping to enjoy this more but I didn’t find it super compelling Fav - Boy from tupelo - Like the piano playing and lyrics Least fav - I don’t wanna talk about it now - Has the dated effects I talked about 3/5 - enjoyable but a bit one-note

A nice album. I lost my focus about ten minutes in, so it became mostly background noise, but what I heard was pleasant.

I didn't really enjoy this album. But, considering that I was expecting to hate this album, that's actually a pretty good outcome. Nobody who grows up in Alabama escapes "Red Dirt Girl" any more than they escape "Sweet Home Alabama". It's part of the landscape. That carries with it a passing familiarity with Emmylou Harris which means that I came into this album with some preconceived expectations. I'm happy to report that I was surprised by how much I didn't hate this album. It still wasn't super enjoyable, mind you. It's slow and boring and all the songs sound so very similar. Emmylou has a few vocal tricks up her sleeve and she just keeps repeating them over and over throughout the whole album. BUT. The music was solid (if sometimes painfully inoffensive) and the lyrics were interesting more often than not. I'd go so far as to say that each track, taken on its own, is solid and maybe even enjoyable. But, all together in an album, they smear into a mediocre mash of sameness. There's nothing super wrong with the album as a whole other than it just being kind of boring.

I guess they chose this album because Emmy Lou wrote all the songs for the first time. The song-writing is good, I especially liked the opener and the title track and the rest are pretty solid. For someone in her fifties she still had a beautiful voice. Musically It’s more folky than her earlier albums. I would have liked a bit more twang and a little less production.

Erster Eindruck: Escort Service Cover Art und entsprechend betulicher Heart Rock für den Cayenne fahrenden late Springsteen Hörer, der ich nie sein werde. Aber dann umschmeichelt mich diese satt-warme Textur, ein konstant gutes Songwriting und so gibt die Soccer Mom in mir Erdig-ehrliche 3.3

Lasted half way. It's just not needed on the 1,001 albums you need to hear, let's be honest. Inoffensive country (a rarity) but it doesn't particularly lead anywhere interesting. So many better things that should have made this list.

Pretty dull Americana.

Pleasant enough but slightly aimless.

I love Emmylou, but this early noughties "country goes modern" shtick is particularly cloying. The whole thing feels just a bit too floaty and forgettable.

It was nice, I enjoyed it kinda, she has a great voice. But pretty much every track becomes indistinguishable from each other and found myself impatient for it to finish in the end

This album is a 4.99999 for me

I appreciated this record and am excited to spin it up again.

Just crying my face off listening to this album. Five stars.

Loved every bit.

I unexpectedly loved this! I expected it to be more country, but I would really call this a folk album and a really well done one, too. Emmylou Harris's voice is just gorgeous and perfectly suited to this kind of music.

An odd choice, seems like a deep cut - finding an album from very late in her career. Seems like an early album from her hay day in the 70s or 80s should have been included instead, but I really like it. Furthermore, I'm not really a country fan. This sounds more like it could be on an alternative rock list - though it is still quite folksy, and not very country in my estimation.

Country tranquilo. Preciosa voz.

So good

One of my all-time favorite albums.

What a legendary voice

Country tranquilo. Preciosa voz.

Favourite songs: My Baby Needs a Shepherd, Bang the Drum Slowly, The Pearl, Michelangelo, I Don't Wanna Talk About It Now, Tragedy, Boy From Tupelo, Red Dirt Girl, One Big Love Least favourite songs: Hour of Gold 5/5

It’s a super strong 4 that I’m gonna round up to a 5, just for my tastes. There are some points early in the album where the production is lacking just that one extra bit for my tastes, but when this album clicks and puts it all together, it’s some of the best country/Americana stuff I’ve heard in a long time. The consequences of “bro country” coming into the scene in the late 90s and early 2000s need to be studied someday, because this is a really good album to me, and I need more stuff like this. Red Dirt Girl? That’s the type of country music I need, not bullshit about trying “that” in a small town, whatever “that” is. The album is just a little too long for me. Could’ve cut it down to like, 8 or 9 tracks, but there’s really not a bad one here. I enjoyed everything on this album; I genuinely think it hits 12 for 12 for me, and that’s why I’m going with a 5 regardless of its slower moments or its perceived flaws. It’s good music, and that’s what matters.

Country

Country is my favorite

Happy to find out this one has mostly songs she wrote, as I really liked the songwriting. Never been sure if I like country, but I'm becoming a dad, my tastes are morphing, and I found myself getting a bit choked up at SEVERAL points. Not every song, but the gorgeous voice and tone still shines through. Have to let my gut speak on this one.

Beautiful and understated and she sings like my girlfriend.

Country tranquilo. Preciosa voz.

I cringed at every word contained within both the album title and artist name expecting to be assaulted by more country music but I was pleasantly surprised, not a banjo in sight. Today was a good day

Beautiful voice, really enjoyed the soothing nature of this. The last track (Boy from Tupelo) especially

Love you, Emmylou.

Very good! And with a feature from Dave Matthews!

So good listened twice back to back.

Country tranquilo. Preciosa voz.

Buen disco y agradable !!!

Well this was a pleasant surprise. Just a beautiful album from beginning to end. Of course Emmylou has a great voice, but the songwriting was top notch and production and world influences surprisingly effective.

Exceeded expectations. A pretty mix of acoustic and electric country/folk rock, but it never goes *too* country for me and the melodies are superb. Think James Taylor at times, or later Mark Knopfler. Strong vocals too. Opener The Pearl is one of the best tracks but there's lots of good ones on the first half. The back half isn't as good for me, but still an excellent album. Favorites: The Pearl, Red Dirt Girl, My Baby Needs a Shepherd, Bang the Drum Slowly.

Some of the most pleasant country music from this list so far. So warm, yet muddy, and Emmylou's melodies are some of the most soothing I've heard from this strain of alt-country. It's almost unsettling how these acoustic and electric guitar melodies linger in the mix, floating like lost souls - especially on the title track and 'Bang the Drum Slowly'. The lyrics are nostalgic and melancholic - or maybe it's just Harris' knack for these hole-in-your-heart-inducing melodies that make you realize you're not actually as happy as you think you are. In a lot of ways, I have very little to say about this album. I'd go as far as to say that there were very few "standout" moments. But it's all just so peaceful, like the sight of a warm shack in the middle of a damp forest. And then I'm lying on a couch in that shack, by a crackling fire. Good music!

I suspect we won't get too many artists or bands that have had 19 studio albums behind their name (especially by the year 2000), so that in itself is impressive. And this is an interesting album, at least for someone (like myself) who doesn't really know Emmylou Harris' prodigious output aside from knowing (vaguely and maybe incorrectly) that she's primarily a country singer. I liked how the opening track ("The pearl") had a very Daniel Lanois-sounding vibe to it, and I also like it that she wrote or co-wrote most of the album's songs. (And I appreciate it that the "1001 albums" entry notes her connection to Daniel Lanois, as his style and influence is strong throughout much of this album.) Her default folk/country sound isn't my favorite, but she does it well and there's a lot more variety throughout the album than I expected; I particularly enjoyed "I don't want to talk about it now", "Red dirt girl", and "J'ai fait tout". Thankfully it doesn't sound at all like she's just dialing it in after 30+ years of surviving the music circuit and a lot of ups and downs, plus an amazingly broad number of collaborations and shared music projects across the decades. (I'm now very interested in hearing her collaborations with Mark Knopfler as well as with Rodney Crowell--I'd guess those are great combinations.) The album is a bit long in the tooth at times, and some songs are just too we-are-the-world-invoking ("One big love" especially), but I enjoyed listening to it much more than I expected.

This was great would definitely come back to this.

laiha nainen wibes... kiemurtelee lavalla, luinen käsi hakkaa vaahterakitaraa.. sairaan näkyinen otus silmät kiinni hoilaa. kaikkea sitä joutuu kestämään... imagine musliminainen... tekisi tälläistä musiikkia... دَ إِلَى الأَبَدِ آمِينبَانَا الذِي فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ، لِيَتَقَدَّسَ اسْمُكَ لِيَأْتِ مَلَكُوتُكَ لِتَكُنْ مَشِيئَتُكَ فِي الأَرْضِ كَمَا السَّمَاءِ اعْطِنَا خُبْزَنَا اليَوْمِيَّ اعْفِنَا فِي مِمَّا عَلَيْنَا فَقَدْ أَعْفَيْنَا نَحْنُ أيَضاً مَنْ لَنَا عَلَيْهِ وَلاَ تُدْخِلْنَا فِي تَجْرِبَةٍ لَكِنْ نَجِّنَا مِنَ الشِّرِّيرِ لأَنَّ لَكَ الْمُلْكَ وَالْقُوَّةَ وَالْمَجْدَ إِلَى دَ إِلَى الأَبَدِ آمِينبَانَا الذِي فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ، لِيَتَقَدَّسَ اسْمُكَ لِيَأْتِ مَلَكُوتُكَ لِتَكُنْ مَشِيئَتُكَ فِي الأَرْضِ كَمَا السَّمَاءِ اعْطِنَا خُبْزَنَا اليَوْمِيَّ اعْفِنَا فِي مِمَّا عَلَيْنَا فَقَدْ أَعْفَيْنَا نَحْنُ أيَضاً مَنْ لَنَا عَلَيْهِ وَلاَ تُدْخِلْنَا فِي تَجْرِبَةٍ لَكِنْ نَجِّنَا مِنَ الشِّرِّيرِ لأَنَّ لَكَ الْمُلْكَ وَالْقُوَّةَ وَالْمَجْدَ إِلَى . i dpomt wanna talk about it.